Where To Order 2021: Author Angelo Comsti Shares His Top 5 Takeout Picks

By Isabel Martel Francisco March 16, 2021

Welcome to Foodie Finds! This is an article series by Tatler, chronicling where and what to order according to the food-obsessed.

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I myself have never understood non-foodies. How can one not love flavours, spices, aromas and all the cultural nuances and memories that come with every bite? Dining is an experience meant to be savoured and is even more fun when shared with loved ones. Dining around a table means sharing, conversing, bonding and learning. A dish can tell you so much about a person, a culture, and a country. It speaks volumes of a nation's history and is an art-form on its own. Skilled hands are trained over years or are born out of pure passion and practice. Professional chefs and home cooks alike, from young stars to grandmothers, have been cooking up meals filled with emotion and have truly made us foodies, happy.

Through Foodie Finds, we ask our epicurean friends to share their favourites. In this feature, we tackle takeout and delivery. Hear what food editor, author, Philippine Daily Inquirer columnist, and culinary consultant Angelo Comsti has to say. He shares his go-to shops for takeout here:

1/5 Mommy Dolor’s Kitchen

@mommydolorskitchen | +6392 9333 4661

Nothing satisfies like home-cooked heirloom food spiced up with beautiful stories. That’s exactly what Mommy Dolor’s Kitchen by the Yang brothers has been offering since 2017. They have fiesta hamonado, which is like a roulade with sweetish pineapple sauce, rellenong bangus, tortang ali-masag, and stuffed squid. Apart from that, you can also order from their curated list of Malabon’s specialties like Hazel’s puto pao, Betsy’s soft broas, and Aling Mely’s mechado, which is the best I’ve ever had.

2/5 China Mommy

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@chinamommyph | +63917 5148 540

Mother-son tandem Linda and Oliver Co has been inviting us to their household since 2016, not in the literal sense though. They have been making it possible for us to enjoy the Filipino-Chinese dishes they regularly enjoy at home—crabs in curry sauce, birthday misua, Chinese lumpia, for-tune bags, gokong, lo ba, and taoso lapu-lapu, among many other things. And it’s hard to choose just one from their roster that’s why when I keep things on rotation whenever I order. My most recent indulgences are their longganisa and limited edition ham.

3/5 The Test Kitchen

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@thetestkitchenmnl | +63977 2885 751

Josh Boutwood is among the chefs who understand my palate. Perfectly cooked meats, sauces that complement rather than overwhelm, garnishes that add texture and balance the flavors—he delivers all these in his One Rockwell restaurant that’s why I find myself having not just his meal kits but baked goods sent to my place often. He has got a variety of ready-to-reheat packs but the ones that I subscribe to regularly is the black truffle roast chicken with creamy mashed potatoes and roasted caraway carrots, as well as his sourdough bread. Both are tops in comparison to their commercial counterparts.

Read more: The Best Gins In Asia 2021

4/5 Pepita’s Kitchen

@Lechon_Diva | +63917 8660 662

Dedet dela Fuente is known for her stuffed lechon but that’s something I can only enjoy occasion-ally. For other days, I rely on her other less grand but equally indulgent fare. My picks include her crab gulong-gulong, ox tail kare-kare made with cashews, stuffed crabs, hiplog, and 8 treasure chicken. Even her desserts are inspired and stellar like the super suman and ginataan trifle. They are every bit as gratifying as her roast pigs.

5/5 Kurimu

@kurimu.ph | +63917 8710 915

Band drummer and restaurant owner Bryan Kong looked for a creative culinary outlet during the quarantine, and since his wife loves ice cream, that’s where he put his efforts. After months of experimentation, the couple released Kurimu, a top-of-the-line frozen treat brand inspired by the Japanese principle of doing simple things well. Two things I look for in ice cream are flavour and mouthfeel—and Kurimu ticks both boxes. Their ice cream has a nice body, like eating smooth, thick cream. And their variants deliver in taste. There’s black sesame, matcha, vanilla, chocolate, and my favourite, shoyu caramel.

Words Angelo Comsti